Minong, Wis. (June 12, 2013) — /PRNewswire/ — To commemorate National Jerky Day, celebrated annually on June 12, Jack Link’s® Beef Jerky played Mother Nature. More than 1,000 bags of jerky showered the Great Plains of Nebraska and more than 33,000 bags of jerky were given away to fans and charities across the country.

National Jerky Day is the ultimeat holiday to celebrate America’s love for snacking and the unadulterated desire Americans have to “Feed Their Wild Side.” On this occasion, Jack Link’s undertook a mission to bring jerky to deserving snackers across the country — with the company’s single largest “gifting” of jerky for one holiday.

“We are never short on great ideas, and this one quickly rose to the top,” said Kevin Papacek, director of marketing, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. “Operation Sky Meat — a mission to literally drop a massive amount of jerky from the sky — to applaud the unconventional, the unexpected and the untamed spirit of the brand was the first of many ways we celebrated National Jerky Day 2013.”

Onlookers had no need for an umbrella for this mighty, meaty rain, as Jack Link’s Beef Jerky packages with individual, mini-parachutes dropped from a helicopter and floated to the ground at Omaha Champions Village in Omaha, Neb., home to national amateur baseball league tournaments. In partnership with Baseball Youth, hundreds of youth baseball players, spectators and fans gathered to witness a spectacular shower of jerky, as well as have a taste of jerky from more than 10,000 additional samples that were available throughout the two-day tournament.

While the center of the country experienced a surprise “jerky shower,” Americans from the East Coast, to the northwoods of Wisconsin, to the cinematic Hollywood Hills also found creative ways to celebrate the historic National Jerky Day holiday.

Jerky Delivery No. 2: Jerky Goes to Hollywood
Starry-eyed snackers in Los Angeles received free samples of Jack Link’s Beef Jerky at the iconic Hollywood & Highland Center, and captured rare sightings of the elusive Sasquatch, known from the wildly popular Jack Link’s Messin’ with Sasquatch commercials. Sasquatch and the “Jack Link’s Wild Side” truck, armed with 20,000 samples, appeared at the center of the famous landmark located on Hollywood Boulevard throughout the day.

Just down the street at El Capitan Entertainment Center, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky made a comedic debut on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The segment airs tonight, June 12, 2013 at 10:35 pm CST/11:35 pm EST as part of National Jerky Day. Check local listings for details.

Jerky Delivery No. 3: A Protein-Packed Donation
Jack Link’s provided about 3,000 bags of jerky to philanthropic organizations throughout the country during the month of June to honor National Jerky Day. Organizations benefiting from this protein-packed contribution included the American Red Cross relief efforts in Oklahoma City as well as YMCA summer programs in Atlanta, Detroit, Kansas City, Mo., Mankato, Minn., Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Seattle. This is above and beyond the annual charitable contributions by the company. In 2012, Jack Link’s donated more than 21,000 pounds of food to food banks nationwide, and much more.

Jerky Fun For Everyone: #jerkyday
Jerky fans have been encouraged to share their love of jerky by tweeting #jerkyday, following @JackLinks and visiting Facebook.com/JackLinksBeefJerky. Consumers will find everything they need to celebrate National Jerky Day on JackLinks.com and can use promo code 1MILLION to get 35 percent off all online purchases. Video of the jerky drop, photos of the official events, and information about the rich heritage of jerky also will be on JackLinks.com.

National Jerky Day: Why It Matters
Americans love to snack. In fact, the average American consumes nearly three snacks each day. Jerky is a snacking staple:

Meat snacks are the third highest-grossing sector within the overall salty snack category, outselling other popular salty snacks including popcorn and pretzels.1

Snacking accounts for more than 25 percent2 of today’s average calorie intake, so selecting the right snack is key. Quality jerky is naturally high in protein and low in calories, fat and carbohydrates.

Contrary to popular belief, jerky is not just a “man’s snack.” Research shows that almost as many women as men snack on jerky.

While beef jerky is more commonly known, today Jack Link’s Beef Jerky offers more than 100 varieties made from premium cuts of beef, turkey, chicken and pork.

Jerky is tender and comes in a variety of flavors and offerings to satisfy even the most discerning palate.

“There’s no snack more deserving of its own special day than jerky,“ added Papacek. “In many ways, it’s the ideal snack — naturally packed with protein, jerky will keep you satisfied between meals. Due to its low fat, calories and carbs, it won’t sabotage a healthy diet. Plus, Jack Link’s Jerky is the perfect snack to fuel your own Wild Side adventures.”

JACKLINK’S BEEFJERKY – Feed Your Wild Side
Headquartered in Minong, Wis., Jack Link’s is the leader in the meat snack category and fastest-growing meat snack manufacturer worldwide. The Jack Link’s brand represents a heritage of quality and consumer trust. Well known for its iconic Messin’ With Sasquatch advertising campaign, Jack Link’s offers more than 100 premium meat snack products at retail outlets in more than 40 countries. Check out JackLinks.com for more information on the brand.

1Nielsen, January 20132Mintel, January 2012

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Jack Link's Beef Jerky celebrates a pre-National Jerky Day in Omaha Champions Village on 6/11/13, by dropping over 1,000 bags via helicopter. The brand is giving away more than 33,000 bags to snackers and charities on 6/12/13. Photo Credit: Dave Weaver
Jack Link's Beef Jerky celebrates a pre-National Jerky Day in Omaha Champions Village on 6/11/13, by dropping over 1,000 bags via helicopter. The brand is giving away more than 33,000 bags to snackers and charities on 6/12/13. Photo Credit: Dave Weaver